Why I Dont Hunt Out Of A Saddle And Why You Might Want To 

Great video! I almost purchased a saddle for the upcoming season, but then I ran across this video. I'm most comfortable in a stand, and I realized after watching this video that I had everything in my garage to make a tether and seat. By virtue of my job, I've got a few Class II harnesses, rope, hardware, and prusik cordage, and it took me less than 10 minutes to set it all up and try it out. I'm pretty excited about being able to shoot from my Lone Wolf traditionally, but also have the option to sit in my harness off the side of the stand and shoot behind me without worrying about losing my balance. Thanks again!

Your wisdom and techniques you share have me anxious for the upcoming season being in a tree for the first time.

I complete agree with all of this, especially with a trad bow. I have run into some really awkward situations in a saddle with a trad bow. Best of both worlds right here which I have considered many times. Running a saddle or rock harness out of a treestand. For many situations. This is the best, especially when it comes to a weak side shot in a saddle.

Great video Jason. I bought one of John's Tactisaddles at your recommendation last year and absolutely love it. It is my first saddle and I got to say that I never felt comfortable moving around in a tree stand with a longbow when standing for a shot, even with a rock climbing harness. Now I feel so much safer and more secure in the saddle. Combined with an Out on a Limb Podium, it is very comfortable. Security is my key factor.

Just received my TactiSaddle from John today. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for the recommendation!

I agree with your comment about “the comforts of home”. I sit all day for 3 to 4 weeks straight. I wanna be comfortable!

You have some great points. I think it’s great to have a loaded arsenal and have multiple options for different scenarios. I see what you mean with the body floating, I’ve had that problem with shooting out of a climber. I like how with saddles the leaning profile makes you look more like a tree branch. Personally, I’d rather look like nothing. But great video to show the multiple options you can get out of a hang on. Keep it up!

This really a great video. Thanks for a very good presentation of counter points to saddle hunting. I plan to saddle hunt this year but I’m glad I still have my three hang on stands now. They may get more use yet.👍

I have stands and saddle... it's great to do both.👍

This is good man - the up and down for shooting small windows- great point

Man you nailed and said pretty much everything I’ve been thinking about saddles.

Im with you on this. its nice to be able to turn around and sit down if i feel the need. and being realistic, nobody is going to be very successful trying to utilize 360 degrees shooting range anyway. More like 270 degrees, which in my mind you might as well hunt out of a traditional platform stand with your saddle/harness. I feel i am more versatile with this method.

another great one Jason. For me its real simple. I can't stand facing the tree and tether. Tried two sits outta one and it drove me insane! And as far as weight savings go, they'll always have the advantage, but the gap is significantly closing with the new 6 lb stand from Infalt, LWCG, and Out on a limb in the coming months.

I like to saddle hunt, but you make excellent points, there are pros and cons, plusses and trade-offs to either. Nice video!

Interesting how different people view things differently. Certainly some valid points. Personally, I noticed that I got picked off a LOT less in a saddle because with your feet against the tree and your body leaning away, your silhouette looks a lot more like a natural angle for a tree branch than it does in a tree stand. Even if you're right against a tree in a tree stand, I think deer are very used to a human silhouette on a platform and it just doesn't look natural to them from the side angle. For me, the biggest selling point for a saddle is the lack of bulk on your back walking in, not the lack of weight that comes with it. Game changer! Glad you have a system that works well for you, though. That's the beauty of having so many great options in 2020!

Love your videos so much. Keep it up! 👍🏻

Hi,Jason I tried John's saddle this season and like it but I went back to my LW and 3 sticks. I was picked out by deer like you talked about and with the rock harness you have the best of both worlds Great Video Thanks!!

Fantastic points vs saddle. I hunt from lone wolf assault...tried saddle. Learning curve and comfort was tough to overcome. Thx

Warren Wommack introduced me to a Loc on Limit stand and the woodpecker drill system then later on, the rock climbing harness years ago and even though he switched to a saddle, I still really like hunting from this system with a rock climbing harness!

Love my API aluminum tech bowhunter climber. Light weight, cradles on it's self when packing. Also put a Ol Man style seat on it. Makes it's very comfortable and easier to climb when you can see the tree with out a seat blocking your view.

Great Video! I've been looking at saddle videos for almost 2 years now. I'm so dang close to buying one but pretty much all the reasons I talk myself out of it you mention. I've got a Lonewolf hang on with sticks and lonewolf climber I bought in 2003 when I switched to a longbow. The stands are great. I really prefer my climber cause I just don't like hanging the lonewolf hang-on and messing with the straps so thats why i'm thinking about a saddle. However.... I have taken to using my lonewolf climber with my sticks if I'm hunting a new spot and unsure of what tree type i'll be climbing. If I get to a tree than a climber can go up then I just leave the sticks at the base of the tree. I also modified my lonewolf sticks with double steps and stealth tape and a wire rope aider on the bottom stick only and so 2 sticks gets me to where I need to be and the double step is so much nicer. I honestly think the climber and sticks and a backpack pack up super quiet and simple compared to the hangon and sticks. The ONLY thing with using the climber as a hang on is you have to be mindfull of how you step onto it from the sticks. Now if the hang-on stand had a belt like the climber rather than the straps then I'd use the hang-on more. Also been using a rock climbing harness for at least 6 years or so, it's just so much nicer.

I hunt exactly like you do. I use my rock climbing harness with my ropeman ascender out of a tree stand. Have shot several deer hanging off the edge of my stand behind the tree.

I saddle hunt but these are excellent points to think about. Thank you Jason

The varying shooting height point was valid. That's one disadvantage I hadn't heard of until I watched your video. A saddle hunter would have to change their tether height to be able to shoot lower, if needed. I've killed nearly 100 deer with a bow, mostly from a hand climber and I probably needed that versatility on ten of those shots. I'd have to say that "floating" factor for a saddle hunter is actually better, as your feet are connected to the trunk and your profile is the same as a branch coming from the main trunk, so it's definitely a more natural profile. I'm making the switch to a saddle this year, so I'm going to find out first hand . Thanks for the video!

I use the saddle as my safty harnesses in my lone wolf similar to the rock climbing harness. All day sits I'm using the stand. When I run out for a 1 or 2 hr sits I'll just use the saddle.

I just got my new saddle. I have used mobile stands, climbers and ground blinds ever since I started hunting with a bow 4 years ago(after 20 years of solely gun hunting from tower stands and blinds overlooking food plots). Just like I still gun hunt (when the season is running out and I haven't filled my tag haha) , I got the saddle as another tool/option. I'm also an avid golfer as well, I was sold on the saddle when Ernie from tethrd said " you don't play golf with one club." . I don't have a climber anymore(just like I don't use a 3wd in my golf bag) because you have to do what works best for your game. My stand, saddle, and ground blinds will be my options, cause one works better than the other in certain situations. I commend you on stating that very thing in both videos. Just cause I or you don't like a method of hunting doesn't mean we aren't both hunters and or one is right and one is wrong. Its all personal preference! Hence why I am now subscribed to your channel.

Good info, for an old hunter. Think I'll stick with my Summits and my many full harnesses, up and down the tree.

I totally agree on the floating out and getting busted, however, in a saddle with a platform for your feet (I use the Lone Wolf Hand Climber as a climbing technique and ao platform), you can easily hide behind the tree. Did that last week as 3 deer walked right below my tree. Love different options and opinions and that we have so many at our fingertips.

Bag of Doritos 😂 Good vid Jason! I have a lone wolf hang on and a saddle... definitely strengths and weaknesses to both systems. Enjoyed your perspective 👍🏽

All very good points. I hunt out of a saddle and won't go back to a tree stand. However I realize saddles are not for everyone. Just as stalk hunt works for some and sit and wait works for others.

Like you said it's all personal preference! For me the saddle is the best option.

Saddles have opened up a ton of country for me. Getting a traditional stand through the thick rain forest here in western Washington the steep country, the alders and blowdowns are like a thousand hands grabbing at you every step. It is an absolute nightmare. However, back in Missouri? in the open timber? treestands are the ways to go. Horses for courses.

Got my bag of Doritos?? Lmao. Another great video. I will be doing saddle hunting this year. I think the big thing is that you have to have your pre sets up before you go to hunt. Coming in with a throw ball and trying to hunt is a recipe for complete frustration. I plan on doing more "hybrid hunts". I define that as using a saddle and SRT or DRT climbing method and using a lone wolf tree stand. I eliminate the weight and bulk of the sticks. The climbing rope and gear does have weight but it travels very compact. In Oklahoma, where I hunt, trees are crazy crooked, making climbing stick operations frustrating, scary and less safe. The lone wolf stand is easy to haul up and affix to the tree. For me, this is the best of both worlds because of the comfort of the stand. Having a tree in your face with the saddle hunt is an advantage for not being spotted but it takes away from all the beauty of nature, which is a significant reason for me to get out into the woods. The best part of the hybrid method is that when I am done I get down to the ground in 30 seconds and dont have to pack up my sticks. Thanks for all that you do!

great points!

its all about preference when you get right down to it. i love my summit titan and dont plan on giving it up but i am trying a tethrd mantis this year for more mobility. love the comfort of my climber but i dont want to be carrying it in and out everyday

You are right. With a trad bow, I like a stand. The last few deer I shot with my longbow, I had to be in a specific tree and shoot a specific direction to make it happen that wouldn't work with a saddle. I do own a saddle and use it with my compound or gun hunting all the time. Just another tool in the box.

The areo kestral flex tree saddle and the cruzr tree saddle, H2 tree saddle are very comfortable tree saddles

I have a alot respect for bowhunters who.with long bow or a recurve i am a big fan of Fred Bear

Yeah I like stand hunting too, but I also like the saddle, no doubt with a lighter weight pack and efficient use of ropes , a stick, or a hand climber a saddle hunter can walk out further with less effort. But with a large stand foot platform you definitely can move around, and be more comfortable . Lock one are noisy to put up and heavy for the most part.

Spot on video. They each have their own pros and cons. Is that a tactisaddle you are wearing in this video?

Thanks for this video. I bought an H2 saddle at the beginning of last season and it's great. But, I'm not certain that saddle hunting is for me. I don't like staring at the tree the whole time. I also don't like the tether in front of me and maneuvering around it. Also like you mentioned, the weight savings aren't that great unless you are a minimalist. Saddle gear doesn't pack as well without a pack. I like my bow on my lap or in a bow holder. Everyone has themselves convinced it's the end all be all, even though saddles have been around for decades. I'm leaning towards picking up the new mini XOP sticks when they are released to pair with my Vanish XT and selling my saddle setup. Also replacing my harness with a rock climbing harness. #makehangonscoolagain

I'm never going to hunt with the saddle either! Those who claim to love the saddle is because their desire to be a apart of the herd follers than having a better bow shooting position. I see so many bad shots from the saddle and it is the saddle that is causing the bad shots. And you are exactly right on everything you said. I love my lock-ons. Light weight and flexible. No rope interfering with my shot. And the lock-on allows me a more comfortable setting.

I like saddles but have had more luck in the past with spot and stalk here in the south. I’m going to give a saddle an honest chance.

Good video. I don't get the whole war going on about stands vs saddle hunting. I'm just getting into saddle hunting and think it's a great tool. I also will keep my stands and use them. I just don't get the people that get so infuriated at saddle hunters and vice versa (mostly coming from the former). To each their own, who cares what someone else does. Grow up, live and let live.

I very much appreciate your videos and the way you teach! But is your rock climbing harness doing exactly the same as a saddle. I used a saddle this year and had fun and success. I have been wondering why I could not use and Assault II and my saddle! Win win! Just lower the tether as you show with your rock climbing harness and same deal. Anyway... my Assault II showed up today and I plan to give it a shot! Thanks again for the videos and all the insights! You ROCK!

Ya i gree, i perferr a treestand over the Saddle any day...more comfortable for long sits, especially for late season cold winter days..

Fair enough man. It's all about personal preference. I prefer a saddle but thats just me. I think its all about the person

Great video as usual. Haters gonna hate! Lol. I use lone wolf and sticks, ladders, saddle. They are all just tools in the tool box. I have hunted trees where a Lone wolf would not have worked. Too crooked. Or ladders wouldn’t work. Or where there were better options than a saddle. Great thing about hunting is all the choices. Find what you like and enjoy time in the woods.

I actually saddle hunt a lot. I also have used my saddle similar to you, with my hang on stands. The saddle gives me more options than just having a harness on. Saddle hunting for me is still my favorite method since I can change location more easily, compared to moving my hang on stand. One thing you do not mention in the video is what you use for climbing.

What videos do you have on how you climb and hang a stand? Also, do you have a video on what rock climbing harness you like?

You should look at a JX3 Hybrid. It is a saddle and is very comfortable.

If using a platform to stand on,you can loosen bridge enough to stoop down for shot

I have a assault. My seat post is too high what do you think about cutting 2 inches and just dropping the hardware to mimic the cut

So with the climbing belt you have the rope at your waist I like that idea instead of having it in your way over your shoulder

Good review,what stand do you like best

Using the rock climbing harness you are basically hunting with a saddle and a large platform kinda

Tried for years to like using a saddle and even ended up making my own but my biggest problem was I couldn't stay still long enough to keep from ocassionally getting "picked off" by deer. I didn't want to hunt 25 feet or higher off the ground just so I could get away with a little movement. Sure I could fool a few does and fawns but when the older, smarter bucks started showing up I just couldn't get away with anything. I went back to my treestands and can stay comfortable for hours with minimal movement.

I think it depends on style of hunting I tear down and move sometimes and with a saddle that makes it nice, I can also plop down easily and hunt from the ground if you move a lot a saddles a great tool

If that's what you like fine, personally I don't like hauling in a heavy ass tree stand that's more likely to make noise. Saddle's are way more user friendly and mobile, also extremely quiet.

I agree what kind of safety harness do you use?

At 4:50 what you described, I watched a video of a saddle hunter last night and he had that same issue. Made a bad shot on a nice buck and ended up loosing it

I was considering hunting from a saddle, presently hunt from a tree stand,cost of saddle hunting doesn't make sense at my age to make the switch

All great points. Not everyone is shooting the same bow so why is a stand to saddle any different. I have my Viper set up with a new backpack straps I can even feel the weight.

Make sure you dont keep side loading your carabiner, in the video when you leaned away from the tree it was side loaded (thats a very weak point on beanier's). I lost a more or less permanent spot for hunting, the property was sold and logged but regardless, my tree stand was stolen and now kind of limited to public lands so Ive been debating between a hang on or saddle set up.

I don’t shoot trad anymore. When I did, I found having my feet stable and being steady was paramount for accuracy. I hunt out of a climber. I just don’t see how swinging from a rope with your feet on a glorified step would let you be accurate with a traditional bow

What I tell everyone that I know that asks me about archery hunting, tree stands, and saddles is that literally everything is about personal preference.

I like it

Thing that is drawing me to trying a saddle is the fact when you hang there at that angle you look. Like a limb on the tree or at least it seems like that lol

6:38...you can do the same when using a saddle and platform. Its ok to not like a saddle but alot of your reasons seems like you really had to try to hard to come up with them.

Is the rock harness legal in states that require 5 point safety harness

John is the best hunter in the world

Personal preference of course.... if I tried to squat down like you did to shoot...I would lose my arrow and someone would have to come help me get back up 😂

You have to hang a perch or ring of steps with a saddle. Not much different from hanging stand. I love my lone wolf, same as yours. Thx man.

WTF - Please stop bashing saddle hunting. ..kidding. Good explanation. I will choose my summit viper every time I can. I have the smaller version of it and fits me perfectly. 17-18 pounds and packs well for most hunts with a molle pack setup. I have and used hang ons but never got a good system down and seem to have heavier setups that are noisy or found every issue that can be. Yes, I’m that guy clanking sticks and have dangling giveaway ropes and strings. Looking to improve on that this year and also try saddle hunting.

After one season of using a saddle, at the risk of being burned at the stake by the saddle mafia, I prefer to use my lone wolf climber whenever I can. Saddle requires too much movement, I can understand if your a very small person- would be completely different. Pressured areas, & spooky deer won't often let me get away with movement necessary for awkward shot angles inherent to saddle hunting. Of course, if I completely focused on just using a saddle, I'd make it work and that's what most saddle guys do. I find the weight difference from my Lone Wolf climber, to a saddle with sticks or wild edge steps, isn't much at all. If you need to use aiders, & one stick to save weight, maybe it's time to lay off the soy latte & start weight training. I have no issues using the LW climber on long hikes, & it folds flat & doesn't get tangled or hung up on brush. It's all about fun & these differences of opinion are part of it. I still use the saddle on giant oak tree's with a double rope climbing system & it really is awesome for that. Great video, it took guts to make it- & you made some great points.

No Matter witch way just hunt like you mean it

I like both. I use summit vipers and they are the most noisy ass stand I’ve had. Not a big fan of lugging that bastard a mile downhill into a thicket. Saddle gives me that ability. But my fav all day sits are in the climbers. Hang ons are the most dangerous ime

If you fall without a traditional harness cant you be hanging upside down because your not tethered between your shoulders?

I was mistaken don't know where I got that from meant to say full body harness

The #1 point is that comfort factor.... all day saddle sit sucks. I don't care what kind of cushion you have on the tree...it is hell on the knees.

I've hunted from both. I can say I literally can say I doubled my kill rate out of a saddle then in a stand. The advantages are beyond what a Stand can do. My opinion based on data

What harness are you using?

What type of harness are you using? Thanks

What camo and binoculars do you have

Where can I get a cheap rock harness?

In my opinion. I think portables stands are a whole lot safer than the saddles. Portable platforms are bigger and saddles are very small. Bigger the platform the safer youre up in the tree... Portables are safer to set up your safety belt than the saddles.

I just hunt on the ground.

You might change your mind about a lot of things once you see what I'm doing with a stand n saddle.

Deer busting you doesn’t matter as long as you climb over 20’. I find deer have no clue as long as I’m 20’ plus in most any tree. I still try to find trees that have other trees or cover around them but 20’+ is magic

Not a sub but I did give you a thumbs up even though you can do everything in a saddle that you can do on your stand the tether does give you the ability to shorten and length and how far you are from where the tether starts but to each his own I wish you well

Are you sponsored by any TREE stand companies?

Looks like saddle hunting to me lol just kidding. Good video

I had to switch to a saddle because I hunt adult deer.

The fiddle factor to installing a saddle setup in the cold is annoying

Completely disagree with safety and weight aspect. A saddle only offers one method of fall protection, whereas a climber or lock on the stand itself is a protection, and the harness is a secondary protection. I also disagree about the weight. When you account for climbing sticks, platform and whatever is used for transport, the saddle gets around 15 or so pounds, which is similar to a good aluminum bowhunting focused climber. Great video, I did a video that compared the different methods of climbing, and the saddle crowd was furious.

I agree! Saddle is not for me. If I m gonna hang a platform it will be a lone wolf!

Run & Gun hunters care about weight. The saddle are far more silent. Saddles are also easier for Public land hunters

What is comfortable to one may not be to another. Why demonize someone for their opinions and the way they do things. Saddle, climbers, hang ones, or ladders what ever works for you, that’s what you use. This world has gotten ridiculous with putting someone on blast for their opinion that very well may help someone else. What is wrong with that? Nothing.

The floating feel is inaccurate in my opinion. Standing on a tree stand platform puts you upright and parallel to the trunk... in a saddle your feet are against the tree so you're more at a 45 degree angle which if you look up... trees have limbs 😂

You still hunting out of a saddle (harness) if you think about it , you just got a big ass platform for it lol